Al Jazeera sues Egypt over imprisoned journalists

4/28/14 4:01 PM EDT

With four of its reporters imprisoned in Cairo, the Qatar-owned news network Al Jazeera has filed a $150 million compensation claim against Egypt for what it said was damage to its media business.

Three journalists -- Peter Greste, an Australian; Mohamed Fahmy, a Canadian-Egyptian national; and Baher Mohamed, an Egyptian -- were detained in Cairo on Dec. 29 and are on trial facing charges of terrorism and spreading false news, which they deny. A fourth al-Jazeera reporter, Abdullah al-Shami, has been detained since August but not charged.

Al Jazeera said in a statement that it lodged a formal "notification of dispute" with Egypt's interim government based on a 1999 bilateral investment treaty between Egypt and Qatar, which stipulates the mutual promotion and protection of investments.

"In the months following the overthrow of the government of President Mohamed Morsi by the Egyptian military, Al Jazeera’s journalists and staff have been subjected to a sustained campaign of harassment and intimidation," the network said in a statement. "The interim government’s actions have included ransacking and closure of Al Jazeera offices, confiscation of equipment, jamming of transmission and arbitrary detention of journalists. Its broadcast license has been revoked and its Cairo branch was subjected to compulsory liquidation of assets."

Cameron Doley the lawyer handling the claim for Al Jazeera, told Reuters the claim would also cover anticipated future losses arising from the effective shutdown of Al Jazeera's Egypt operations.

"Al Jazeera invested substantial sums in Egypt," Doley said. "The effect of this recent campaign by the military government is that this investment has been expropriated. Egypt is bound by international law to pay Al Jazeera just and effective compensation."